It has been widely used that, in a FA (Factory Automation) manufacturing process, for example, the image of objects (products) which are transferring on a belt conveyer is picked up using an image pickup device to identify the condition of objects by processing the image of the objects.
However, it is difficult to pick up a defined image because of movement of objects in the case that objects are moved very fast on a belt conveyer.
For example, as shown in FIG. 34A, in the case of an object of triangle (A in the drawing) in view from an image pickup device, movement of the object causes the image pickup device to pick up the object as, for example, a pentagon, and it is difficult to identify the condition of the object correctly.
To cope with such a problem, various methods, in which an image is picked up after the object is brought to a stop, an image is picked up in a moment under irradiation of the light from a stroboscope in a dark atmosphere, or an image is picked up in a very short exposure time using an electronic shutter of the image pickup device, have been used.
However, in the case that an image is picked up after an object is brought to a stop, this method is disadvantageous in that a mechanism for stopping the belt conveyer in the field of view of the image pickup device is required, the requirement results in difficulty in cost reduction, and additionally productivity is reduced because objects are brought to a stop. In the case that an image is picked up in a moment under irradiation of the light from a stroboscope in a dark atmosphere, this method is disadvantageous in that a shade curtain is required to darken the atmosphere, and the requirement results in difficulty in cost reduction and additionally it is required to irradiate the object with the light so that an image of the object is picked up in good condition. Further in the case that an image is picked up in a very short exposure time using an electronic shutter of the image pickup device, this method is also disadvantageous in that a highly sensitive image pickup device or a high illumination lighting system is required because quantity of light obtained from the object decreases in proportion to the exposure time and the requirement results in difficulty in cost reduction. In addition, in the case that a high illumination lighting system is used, such lighting system can cause smearing.
The present invention is accomplished in view of such problems, it is the object of the present invention to prevent an image from being blurred when an image of an object is picked up without using a highly sensitive image pickup device and without using a high illumination lighting system by applying a method in which electric charge is outputted from an photoelectric transducer with a period figured out by dividing the distance interval (pitch) of a plurality of photoelectric transducers arranged in parallel to the transferring direction of the object by speed of an image of the object projected on the plurality of photoelectric transducers, the electric charge is superimposed on the electric charge accumulated at the position corresponding to the photoelectric transducer and the electric charge is moved at the same speed as that of the image of the object.
The image pickup device described in claim 1 is provided with a plurality of photoelectric conversion means arranged in the prescribed direction for converting the incident light photoelectrically to generate electric charge, an electric charge transfer means for superimposing the electric charge outputted from the photoelectric conversion means on electric charge accumulated at the position corresponding to the photoelectric conversion means, and for transferring the electric charge in the prescribed direction at the same speed as the transferring speed in the prescribed direction of the image of the object projected on the photoelectric conversion means, a driving means for outputting the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion means to the electric charge transfer means at a prescribed number of times with a period calculated by dividing the distance interval of the plurality of photoelectric conversion means by the transferring speed in the prescribed direction of the image of the object, and a processing means for processing electric charge transferred from the electric charge transfer means.
The image pickup method described in claim 5 comprises a step for superimposing the electric charge outputted from the photoelectric conversion means on electric charge accumulated at the position corresponding to the photoelectric conversion means, and for transferring the electric charge in the prescribed direction at the same speed as the transferring speed in the prescribed direction of the image of the object projected on the photoelectric conversion means, a step for outputting the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion means to the electric charge transfer means at a prescribed number of times with a period calculated by dividing the distance interval of the plurality of photoelectric conversion means by the transferring speed in the prescribed direction of the image of the object, and a step for processing electric charge transferred from the electric charge transfer means.
The transmission medium described in claim 6 comprises a step for superimposing the electric charge outputted from the photoelectric conversion means on electric charge accumulated at the position corresponding to the photoelectric conversion means, and for transferring the electric charge in the prescribed direction at the same speed as the transferring speed in the prescribed direction of the image of the object projected on the photoelectric conversion means, a step for outputting the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion means to the electric charge transfer means at a prescribed number of times with a period calculated by dividing the distance interval of the plurality of photoelectric conversion means by the transferring speed in the prescribed direction of the image of the object, and a step for processing electric charge transferred from the electric charge transfer means.
The image pickup system described in claim 7 is provided with a transfer means for transferring an object in a prescribed direction, a detection means for detecting the position of the object, a plurality of photoelectric conversion means arranged in the prescribed direction for converting the incident light photoelectrically to generate electric charge, an electric charge transfer means for superimposing the electric charge outputted from the photoelectric conversion means on electric charge accumulated at the position corresponding to the photoelectric conversion means, and for transferring the electric charge in the prescribed direction at the same speed as the transferring speed in the prescribed direction of the image of the object projected on the plurality of photoelectric conversion means, a driving means for outputting the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion means to the electric charge transfer means at a prescribed number of times with a period calculated by dividing the distance interval of the plurality of photoelectric conversion means by the transferring speed in the prescribed direction of the image of the object depending on the position of the object detected by means of the detection means, the first processing means for processing electric charge transferred from the electric charge transfer means and generating an image signal, and the second processing means for processing the image signal generated by the first processing means.
The image information providing device is provided with an image pickup means for panning image picking up an object, a transferring means for transferring the image pickup means relatively to the object, a synthesis means for synthesizing image data of the object picked up by means of the image pickup means at different timing, a memory means for storing an image data synthesized by means of the synthesis means, a reception means for receiving an indication information for indicating a reading range from the image data stored in the memory means, and an output means for reading out the image data of the range corresponding to the indication information received by the reception means from the memory means and outputting the image data.
The image information providing method comprises an image pickup step for panning image picking up an object using an image pickup section, a transferring step for transferring the image pickup section relatively to the object, a synthesis step for synthesizing image data of the object picked up in the image pickup step at different timing, a memory step for storing an image data synthesized in the synthesis step, a reception step for receiving an indication information for indicating a reading range from the image data stored in the memory step, and an output step for reading out the image data of the range corresponding to the indication information received in the reception step from image data stored in the memory step and outputting the image data.
The transmission medium comprises an image pickup step for panning image picking up an object using an image pickup section, a transferring step for transferring the image pickup section relatively to the object, a synthesis step for synthesizing image data of the object picked up in the image pickup step at different timing, a memory step for storing an image data synthesized in the synthesis step, a reception step for receiving an indication information for indicating a reading range from the image data stored in the memory step, and an output step for reading out the image data of the range corresponding to the indication information received in the reception step from image data stored in the memory step and outputting the image data.
The image data processing device is provided with an image pickup means for panning picking up an object with an prescribed angle of view, a transfer means for transferring the image pickup means at a prescribed speed relatively to the object, an extraction means for extracting the effective region specified by the angle of view of the image pickup means and the speed of the transfer means out of the image data of the object picked up at a prescribed timing by means of the image pickup means, a synthesis means for synthesizing image data of the effective region extracted by means of the extraction means, and a memory means for storing the image data synthesized by means of the synthesis means.
The image data processing method comprises an image pickup step for panning picking up an object with an prescribed angle of view by means of an image pickup section, a transfer step for transferring the image pickup section at a prescribed speed relatively to the object, an extraction step for extracting the effective region specified by the angle of view of the image pickup section and the speed in the transfer step out of the image data of the object picked up at a prescribed timing in the image pickup step, a synthesis step for synthesizing image data of the effective region extracted in the extraction step, and a memory step for storing the image data synthesized in the synthesis step.
The transmission medium comprises an image pickup step for panning picking up an object with an prescribed angle of view by means of an image pickup section, a transfer step for transferring the image pickup section at a prescribed speed relatively to the object, an extraction step for extracting the effective region specified by the angle of view of the image pickup section and the speed in the transfer step out of the image data of the object picked up at a prescribed timing in the image pickup step, a synthesis step for synthesizing image data of the effective region extracted in the extraction step, and a memory step for storing the image data synthesized in the synthesis step.
The image data processing is provided with an image pickup means for panning picking up an object with a prescribed angle of view, a transfer means for transferring the image pickup means at a prescribed speed relatively to the object, a correction means for extracting the second region which is a portion of the second image data of the object picked up at the second timing by means of the image pickup means corresponding to the first region which is a portion of the first image data of the object picked up at the first timing by means of the image pickup means, and correcting the sensitivity, a synthesis means for synthesizing one image by combining the image data of the first region and second region corrected by means of the correction means, the image data of the third region excepting the first region of the first image data, and the image data of the fourth region excepting the second region of the second image data, and a memory means for storing the image data synthesized by means of the synthesis means.
The image data processing method comprises an image pickup step for panning picking up an object with a prescribed angle of view by means of image pickup section, a transfer means for transferring the image pickup section at a prescribed speed relatively to the object, a correction step for extracting the second region which is a portion of the second image data of the object picked up at the second timing by means of the image pickup section corresponding to the first region which is a portion of the first image data of the object picked up at the first timing by means of the image pickup section, and correcting the sensitivity, a synthesis step for synthesizing one image by combining the image data of the first region and second region corrected in the correction step, the image data of the third region excepting the first region of the first image data, and the image data of the fourth region excepting the second region of the second image data, and a memory step for storing the image data synthesized in the synthesis step.
The transmission medium comprises an image pickup step for panning picking up an object with a prescribed angle of view by means of image pickup section, a transfer means for transferring the image pickup section at a prescribed speed relatively to the object, a correction step for extracting the second region which is a portion of the second image data of the object picked up at the second timing by means of the image pickup section corresponding to the first region which is a portion of the first image data of the object picked up at the first timing by means of the image pickup section, and correcting the sensitivity, a synthesis step for synthesizing one image by combining the image data of the first region and second region corrected in the correction step, the image data of the third region excepting the first region of the first image data, and the image data of the fourth region excepting the second region of the second image data, and a memory step for storing the image data synthesized in the synthesis step.